Five Wake County teachers awarded leadership grants

May 20, 2010

Five Wake County public school teachers were awarded more than $20,000 in grants Wednesday as part of the Teacher Leadership Grants program offered by Wake Education Partnership.

The teachers were honored at a reception sponsored by Duke Raleigh Hospital. Funding for the grants is made possible by Closure Medical Corporation, Duke Raleigh Hospital, GlaxoSmithKline, Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation and the Goodnight Educational Foundation.

Awarded annually by Wake Education Partnership for the past 26 years, the teacher grants are designed to promote effective teaching and improve student achievement through professional learning communities and teacher leadership.

Including other educators involved in the projects, the grants will directly affect the work of 38 Wake County teachers and staff. Five elementary schools from throughout the county are represented among the winners.

“We believe that in submitting grants, teachers are taking an active role in their professional development,” said Partnership President Ann Denlinger. “The students are clearly the beneficiaries in this process and we are also pleased to honor teachers this way.”

During the past 26 years, the Partnership has provided teachers with nearly $870,000 in grant money, affecting more than 251,000 students and more than 2,100 teachers in Wake County’s public schools.

Grant recipients submitted proposals which were reviewed by a selection committee of volunteers representing Wake County business, community and education leaders. Criteria included sustainability of a program, professional development, and student achievement. The proposals focused on professional learning communities or teacher leadership.

“It just gave us this bank of money to be able to do the things we already wanted to do within our school,” said Carol Chalk, a teacher at Baileywick Elementary whose team was awarded a grant last year.

Winners of Teacher Leadership Grants for the 2010-2011 school year are:

West Lake Elementary, team leader Kathy Bauer

Yates Mill Elementary, team leader Cathy Kimbel

Forest Pines Elementary, team leader Diane New

Swift Creek Elementary, team leader Susan Rhodes

Olive Chapel Elementary, team leader Christi Vereckey

More details about the winning grant proposals can be found here. Full-time teachers and others who work in support positions are encouraged to learn more about the program by clicking here and by contacting Julie Crain, VP of Programs, at 821-7609.

About the Partnership

Wake Education Partnership is an advocacy organization dedicated to making world-class schools possible in Wake County through business and community involvement. It plays a critical role in bringing local leaders together to improve public schools and in educating the public on current education issues. For more information, please visitwww.wakeedpartnership.org.